The Lenni Lenape Tribe were also called the Delawares. The name Delawares came from the Delaware River because they lived near there. The word Lenape means something like "The People." The Delawares were often called the "Grandfather" Tribe because they were respected by other tribes as peacemakers.
Location:
The first Delawares came from by the Delaware River. The ancestors of the Delawares were the first to come in contact with Europeans in the early 1600s. Delawares signed a treaty with the US Government on September 17, 1778 to give up lands and move westward. They moved to Ohio, Indiana, Missouri, Kansas, and now Oklahoma. The Delawares also lived in an area they called the "Lenapehoking," which means "Land of the Lenape."
Major Figures:
The Delaware River was named after Lord de la Warr, the governor of the Jamestown colony. Neolin was a spiritual leader of the Delawares. He greatly influenced Pontiac who was a leader of the Ottawa Indians. Neolin later urged Native Americans to end an uprising that was called Pontiac's Rebellion. Neolin said "The Master of Life" ordered them to lay down their arms.
Culture:
The Delawares were peacemakers. They often settled disputes among other tribes. They were known for fierceness and tenicity as warriors when they had to fight. Early Delaware people didn't know land could be sold. The land belonged to the Creator, the people used it for sheltar and food. Delawares gave tokens of kindness. The Delawares had many myths. One myth was Mahtantu, the spirit of evil. They spoke a language called Munsee, it was an Eastern Algonquian Delaware language. The south spoke Unami, a slightly different language.The Lenape had three clans- Wolf, Turtle, and Turkey, which traced descendants through the female line. Tools were very important to the Indians. They made most of their tools with the environment around them such as, bows and arrows, canoes, and wooden bowls. Women gardened a lot for food, while men hunted. Men trapped a lot also to get food. Men wore breechcloth and moccasins made out of deer skin. During the winter, the clothes were made out of deer skin too. Women wore deer skin and moccasins also. Both sometimes wore turkey feather caps. The Delawares made baskets and pottery. The Indians had many pow wows.
Housing:
The land belonged to everyone. Sheltars were shared. The houses were made of bark. First, the framework was built into rectangular or oval shapes with trees, then covered with large sheets of bark. Sometimes the houses were covered with mats made of reeds. In the southern part of the land the houses were mainly built for single families. In the northern part houses for multiple familes were built. They had rounded ends and had a door on the side.
Where they are now:
The Delawares today are in Oklahoma and some fled to Canada. In Canada are two reserves in Ontario. The Delaware Nation at Moravian town and The Munsee- Delaware Nation are the two reserves.
Lenni Lenape Indians
Introduction:
The Lenni Lenape Tribe were also called the Delawares. The name Delawares came from the Delaware River because they lived near there. The word Lenape means something like "The People." The Delawares were often called the "Grandfather" Tribe because they were respected by other tribes as peacemakers.Location:
The first Delawares came from by the Delaware River. The ancestors of the Delawares were the first to come in contact with Europeans in the early 1600s. Delawares signed a treaty with the US Government on September 17, 1778 to give up lands and move westward. They moved to Ohio, Indiana, Missouri, Kansas, and now Oklahoma. The Delawares also lived in an area they called the "Lenapehoking," which means "Land of the Lenape."Major Figures:
The Delaware River was named after Lord de la Warr, the governor of the Jamestown colony. Neolin was a spiritual leader of the Delawares. He greatly influenced Pontiac who was a leader of the Ottawa Indians. Neolin later urged Native Americans to end an uprising that was called Pontiac's Rebellion. Neolin said "The Master of Life" ordered them to lay down their arms.Culture:
The Delawares were peacemakers. They often settled disputes among other tribes. They were known for fierceness and tenicity as warriors when they had to fight. Early Delaware people didn't know land could be sold. The land belonged to the Creator, the people used it for sheltar and food. Delawares gave tokens of kindness. The Delawares had many myths. One myth was Mahtantu, the spirit of evil. They spoke a language called Munsee, it was an Eastern Algonquian Delaware language. The south spoke Unami, a slightly different language.The Lenape had three clans- Wolf, Turtle, and Turkey, which traced descendants through the female line. Tools were very important to the Indians. They made most of their tools with the environment around them such as, bows and arrows, canoes, and wooden bowls. Women gardened a lot for food, while men hunted. Men trapped a lot also to get food. Men wore breechcloth and moccasins made out of deer skin. During the winter, the clothes were made out of deer skin too. Women wore deer skin and moccasins also. Both sometimes wore turkey feather caps. The Delawares made baskets and pottery. The Indians had many pow wows.Housing:
The land belonged to everyone. Sheltars were shared. The houses were made of bark. First, the framework was built into rectangular or oval shapes with trees, then covered with large sheets of bark. Sometimes the houses were covered with mats made of reeds. In the southern part of the land the houses were mainly built for single families. In the northern part houses for multiple familes were built. They had rounded ends and had a door on the side.Where they are now:
The Delawares today are in Oklahoma and some fled to Canada. In Canada are two reserves in Ontario. The Delaware Nation at Moravian town and The Munsee- Delaware Nation are the two reserves.Links: